1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to techniques for simultaneously inserting a plurality of insulated conductors in respective insulation-piercing contacts of an electrical connector, and more particularly to techniques for handling insulated conductors prior to and during insertion, including transporting, separating, cutting and positioning and aligning conductors with respect to respective insulation-piercing contacts of an electrical connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The termination of insulated conductors in insulation-piercing contacts is generally well known in the art and covers a wide variety of techniques including the grasping of conductors between the fingers and forcing the same between coplanar slightly spaced tines, for example, of a terminal, and machine insertion of one or a plurality of conductors into respective insulation-piercing portions of contacts. The prior art has, however, failed to provide a simple, yet effective, technique and corresponding apparatus for handling the conductors prior to insertion, handling being here intended to include a variety of operations such as separating and guiding of conductors, transporting of conductors in a spaced relationship, cutting of the conductors and alignment of the conductors with respect to connector channels having insulation-piercing contacts therein, and the attendant scheduling and cooperation of such functions to attain a terminated conductor in a simple and economical manner.
Apparatus has been constructed which does provide for the separation or fanning of conductors for splicing and for disposition relative terminal apparatus. Yet, this structure is either complex in nature, or not easily adapted to continuous termination operations on a mass scale.